20 Diseases You've Probably Never Heard Of

POEMS Syndrome

POEMS is an acronym that stands for Polyneuropathy (affecting many nerves), Organomegaly (abnormal enlargement of an organ), Endocrinopathy (affecting certain hormone-producing glands), Monoclonal gammopathy and skin defects. Symptoms include progressive weakness of the nerves in the arms and legs, enlarged liver or spleen, darkening of the skin and excessive hair growth. Other names for the disorder include Crow-Fukase Syndrome, Takatsuki syndrome and PEP Syndrome.